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Focus on individuality in frankenstein
Theme of isolation in frankenstein
Focus on individuality in frankenstein
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Within Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus, both the Creature and Victor experience isolation in various ways that send them on very different paths. Although considered a monstrous figure, the Creature’s isolation derives from his inability to have any kind of relationship with his creator leading to his destructive and murderous actions. (Transition word) The Creature embodies isolation due to Victor’s inability to take responsibility for his creation and thereby needlessly nurturing their antagonistic relationship. (prove he is isolated) In the initial moments of life, when he should be nurtured and cared for, the Creature only experiences being “a poor, helpless, miserable wretch… feeling pain on all sides, [he] …show more content…
sat down and wept” (91). Here, the Creature’s misery endeavors to show the moment his isolation began, not just from being newly created, but from his inability to have the necessary guidance for his survival.
(possibly add additional sentence to expand thinking?). (How)Additionally, the Creature attempts to connect to his creator, only to be shunned, “‘You, my creator, abhor me… Let your compassion be moved and do not disdain me’” (87). Even though the Creature pleads with his creator to have any kind of relationship with him, he knows that Victor will not be moved. The creature’s need for any kind of positive reinforcement from Victor backfires and isolates him from fulfilling their social contract. (this is really weak… maybe I need to rethink this point). (How) The last way Victor ensures the Creature’s utter isolation is through destroying the Creature’s last hope of having a relationship with a being like himself, “‘Shall each man… find a wife for his bosom and each beast have his mate and I be alone? I had feelings of affection, and they were requited by detestation and scorn” (157-158). Herein, the Creature’s isolation is complete by never being allowed to have …show more content…
another to care for him and who would have his same deformities as himself and causes him to not only be physically alone in the world, but emotionally isolated from any who may see him as an object worthy of being loved (rework – a bit awkward). Due to his loss of all possible connections with his creator, isolation destroys the Creature’s innate kindness and goodness.
Therefore, the Creature’s forced isolation from any connection with his creator causes him to seek revenge through the DeLacey’s, Justine William, and Elizabeth because he can never have any kind of connection (repeated wording) with humanity. (Cause 1: Victor Abandonment → DeLacey’s “abandonment”/destruction) Since Victor clearly abandons the Creature, he attempts to find others who would be willing to help him and to bear his company in vain. Upon the further abandonment of his supposed “protectors”, the Creature despairs that they, “had broken the only link that held me to the world. For the first time the feelings of revenge and hatred filled my bosom… I bent my mind towards injury and death” (127). Although, the Creature’s revenge is to burn down the house of the DeLacey’s, he actively chooses to solve his problems through antagonistic emotions rather than rational thought. He sees how important it is to have that “link… to the world” and can only act in a poor manner as he was never taught how to calm his emotions, but only to feel the hurt when any kind of connection to humanity is severed, thereby securing his own isolation. (Cause 2: Need for any relationship → Justine William)
When the creature first sees Justine, he imagines her reaction, knowing that she will look upon him with disgust, he plants the evidence on her because, “I am forever robbed of all that she could give me, she shall atone” (132). Here, the creature expects Justine, an innocent woman, to be convicted of his crime solely because he feels lost in his ability to have a relationship with any human being. He knows that no woman would willingly look upon him favorably, and decides she must suffer for the entire gender because he does not have a companion. (Deleted because it felt too close to my third point. So I retried it with William instead) In order for the Creature to have a lasting bond with another, he decides to enlist a child to help him fulfill Maslow’s level of Belongingness through kidnapping. Unfortunately, the child he chooses is William, and the Creature’s rage overpowers him and kills the boy exclaiming, “‘I too can create desolation; my enemy is not invulnerable; this death will carry despair to [Victor]’” (132). In the moment of revenge, the Creature feels nothing for the innocent child to whom he had previously been depending on as a future companion, only to seek out desolation for his creator. (restating the quote, what does this add to my argument?) The Creature’s forced isolation allows him blur the ideals of true right and wrong to be solely seen as his perceived goodness and evil because he has only ever had negative emotional reinforcement from Victor and humanity. (Cause 3: “Eve” → Elizabeth) Finally, the Creature knows that he cannot feel the companionship of another like himself, and completes his revenge on Victor by killing Elizabeth. He then tells Walton his reasoning behind Elizabeth’s death, “‘I had no choice but to adapt my nature to an element which I had willingly chosen. The completion of my demoniacal design became an insatiable passion’” (210). These admissions of the Creature describe not his nature but how his isolation nurtured this passion within him to kill in order to seek revenge on Victor to his utmost. By killing Victor’s bride, the Creature’s revenge is complete in making an outsider as alone as himself in the world. (Trans) Isolation for the Creature means more than just being alone, it is also about his need to express his pain in unorthodox ways. Unfortunately, the Creature’s isolation causes him to commit heinous acts within the text, but he does not commit them solely out of malice, but out of pain because he was never cared for in the first place by Victor. Some may say that revenge is a dish best served cold, but in the Creature’s case, it is only served due to his isolation from the relationships he needs most.
In the process, victor neglects the artificial duties from the animated man. The creature finds it difficult to thrive in rejection from the other human beings and the creator himself and makes it lonely. From the incidences, we find that he went ahead to look for the family that is surrogate and just look for one who will sympathize with him and accepts him to be one of his families since the creator who is supposed to do so has neglected the responsibility (Haynes, 1). He wanted a family that will be proud and binds their lives with his away from the brutality that he is getting from the surrounding environment. He adopted a family imaginatively from the cottagers that he observes from far their domestic harmony. He attaches himself to the family calling them the cottagers in that he identified himself with them as protectors and my
In Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, the Creature executes extreme and irreversible acts due to his isolation from society. Although the Creature displays kindness, his isolation drives him to act inhumanely.
As he goes off to college, interested in the science behind life and death, he ends up going his own way and attempts to create a living being. Victor “had worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body” (Shelley 43). The being Victor has created does not by any means sit well with him. As victor is away from his family and for six years, he is neglectful to them, which only adds to his sorrow and misery. Victor’s isolation is brought upon him because of himself, however his creation, or “the monster”, is isolated from any connections with humans against his will. To start out, the monster would have had Victor there with him, but Victor is ashamed of what he has created, and abandons the monster. The monster is a very hideous being, which sadly is a contributing factor to his isolation. With nobody to talk to at any time, naturally this will be condescending and frustrating. Although the monster is able to
Isolation in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein, has several themes imbedded in the text. One major theme is of isolation. Many of the characters experience some time of isolation. The decisions and actions of some of these characters are the root cause of their isolation. They make choices that isolate themselves from everyone else.
Victor’s cruel and hostile actions toward his creature demonstrate his monstrous characteristics. One example of Victor’s inhumane cruelty is when he decides to abandon his creature. When Victor realizes what he has created, he is appalled, and abandons his creature because he is “unable to endure the aspect of the being [he] had created” (42). This wretched action would be similar to a mother abandoning her own child. Victor’s ambition for renown only fuels his depravity; he brings new life into the world, only to abandon it. This act of abandonment accurately depicts Victor’s cruelty because it shows his disgust toward his own creation, as well as his lack of respect for life. An example of a hostile action is when Victor destroys the creature’s
Victor, at first sight of the Creature, abandons and leaves him to survive on his own. This is insignificant to the creature at the time, but later causes the Creature to have bitter feelings towards Victor. After the Creature discovers Victor’s notes, he becomes enraged, and incriminates Victor for the victimization that he faces; hence accusing him as a perpetrator of cruelty. Through the accusation of Victor one can see that the Creature believes that Victor should be held responsible, and owes the Creature a favor. Additionally, Victor double-crosses the Creature after obliging to create a mate for the Creature. These actions of betrayal demonstrate how Victor is a perpetrator of cruelty and how the Creature is his victim. Victor’s unintentional cruelty reveals how he only wanted what was best for himself and human kind. Victor’s betrayal is seen as an action of cruelty by the Creature, and consequently delivers the final blow that instigates the retaliation of the
By the time of their death, both Victor and the creature has committed repugnant acts: Victor created a being out of corpses and then abandoned it and let it wreak havoc on the people he loved, the creature directly killed three people. But Victor tells Walton that, “During these last days I have been occupied in examining my past conduct; nor do I find it blamable […] nor do I know where this thirst for vengeance may end” (269). Victor is not able to see past the metaphorical clouds that seem to shroud his mind from seeing the truth. Furthermore, Victor is not able to let go of his hate for the creature. In contrast, the creature admits, “But it is true that I am a wretch. I have murdered the lovely and the helpless” (275). The creature is able to recognize that he has made mistakes and as a result he loathes himself. He tells Walton that, “You hate me, but your abhorrence cannot equal that with which I regard myself” (275). Although no amount of regret or sorrow can bring back the people that he has killed, the creature does acknowledge the evil of his actions, which in turn allow him to make come to peace. He is able to reconcile his vengeful feelings towards his creator and praises Victor by calling him, “worthy of love and admiration among men” (275). Both Victor and the creature have done committed actions against each
After killing his younger brother, Elizabeth , and his best friend, Victor after having no family left wanted to put an end to it all so he ended up chasing his creation and dying before catching it. After bringing the creature into this world and leaving it behind to fend for itself the creature endured lots of agony and pain from society which drove its rage to Victor and his family and he ended up kill this younger brother and soon to be wife. Both were isolated from society, Victor brought isolation upon himself through locking himself up to create the creature and ignoring everything around him as stated in the article, “The summer months passed while I was thus engaged, heart and soul, in one pursuit. It was a most beautiful season; never did the fields bestow a more plentiful harvest, or the vines yield a more luxuriant vintage: but my eyes were insensible to the charms of nature. And the same feelings which made me neglect the scenes around me caused me also to forget those friends who were so many miles absent, and whom I had not seen for so long a time. I knew my silence disquieted them; and I well-remembered the words of my father: "I know that while you are pleased with yourself, you will think of us with affection, and we shall hear regularly from you. You must pardon me if I regard any interruption in your correspondence as a proof that your other duties are equally neglected.” As
...s creation as a way of revenge and payback for all the distress he brought to the creature. The creature, beginning as the most innocent, is alienated by his creator and every individual who witnesses his presence. Finally, Victor isolates himself from his beloved ones in order to fulfill his ambitions. All these misfortunes are caused by the lack of moral decision making. Unfortunately, these decisions ruined the life of many people involved in Victor’s life. All these events are the proof of what people’s actions can result into when isolation is a major theme in one’s life.
This presents Victor showing unfair judgement towards the creature that he made “There can be no community between you and me; we are enemies” (55). This is unfair to the creature because he was born against his will and already Victor claiming to the creature that he has no community; a home. This is also unjust because Victor shows his hatred towards his creation that they are enemies before even giving the creature a chance to show himself and show who he really is and can be. Victor and his poor character towards his family and close friends make him more monster than the creature he had created “I could cope with the sullen despair that overwhelmed me: but the whirlwind passions of my soul drove me to suddenly leave” (51). With his family having hardship during this time and Victor knowing that and knows he needs to be there decides to chase his passion and leave without giving much thought. Victor knowing that his family problems and hardship are happening because of him doesn’t tell them what’s going on or what's happening in his current situation leaving them with no answers. This makes Victor a bigger monster because of his poor character he has towards his family and his poor statements towards the creature, a being that he
In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, there are many themes present. One prominent and reoccurring theme in the novel is isolation and the effect it has on the characters. Through the thoughts and feelings of both Victor and his monster, Frankenstein reveals the negative effects of isolation from society. The negative effects that Victor faces are becoming obsessed with building a monster and becoming sick. The monster faces effects such as confusion about life and his identity, wanting companionship, and wanting to seek revenge on Victor. Victor and the monster are both negatively affected by the isolation they face.
Despite their similarities, Victor and his creation differ greatly. Only after rejection does the creature turn to
Isolation is often a result of choosing to seek refuge in solitude, however, in many cases, it is a result of brutality from the surrounding environment. In Mary Shelley’s Gothic novel, Frankenstein, a gruesome and painful story serves as a cautionary tale in order to prevent another from a similar downfall. Although Victor Frankenstein is the narrator for the majority of the novel, the audience learns of the destruction that has followed his decisions as well as the forced estrangement upon those he has encountered. In Frankenstein, Shelley uses relatable characters that reflect the harsh superficial aspects of society. Victor’s initial isolation as a child foreshadows the motif of detachment that occurs throughout the novel.
Victor avoids association with his family and many others during the time which he is developing the creature, and solely interacts with professors at his time at Ingolstadt. The theme of association with others goes hand in hand with the theme of isolation, as Victor seems to prefer keeping to himself. Many compare the creature to Victor and the way they are similar, but the creature longs to be apart of society, and to be loved by others, or by a family. The opposition is Victor’s inability to grasp a relationship with those who seek one with him, while the creature is kept from associating with anyone from the outside world due to the way he looks. Shelley ties together the theme of association with others to isolation, and family as many of the people Victor hides from is his family. The importance of associating or communicating with others for Victor is the less likely chance he will fall ill when isolated. Shelley provides many instances, which she places the importance of associating with others on both Victor and the
In the movie, Victor’s mother dead because of dystocia. Both Victor and his father, they all fell inconsolable. Nevertheless, Victor meets the problem that is his mother’s death, he still encourages himself to face it. Victor uses his inconsolable emotion as his power to keep studying medicine. He chooses his way to the positive side; however, the creature chooses his way to the negative side. The creature always puts energy into negative which is to revenge Victor. In the movie.When a little boy who is very cute guy saw the creature in the forest, the little boy gets away from the creature because of the creature’s ugly appearance. Then the creature finds the little boy who gets away from him is Victor’s brother. When the creature faces this problem, he chooses to kill the little boy who is Victor’s brother. The creature chooses to escape from the problem,and he does not find the way to fix it like Victor